I went back to Haltwhistle last week. I was last there about 15 years ago, and it was looking very run down then. It was raining heavily, and I remember calling in to a cafe where I was served with a pot of very strong, warm tea that was well stewed and tasted awful - needless to say, I sent it back and crossed the road to the Railway Hotel, where I found some solace in a pint of bitter and and a cold mince pie (the microwave was broken).

In his book `Northumberland`(Methuen & Co, 1916) J. E. Morris describes Haltwhistle thus, "...may once have been a quaint little town - it would have been such c. 1858, when visited by Walker White. Unhappily of recent years the development of the small isolated coal field on the S Tyne, though it has not much injured the delightful country around, has utterly ruined the place itself: most people will do well to avoid it."

Strong words in 1916. Not being around then, I couldn`t possibly comment. However, I can give my opinion of the town at the present time after a laspe of 15 years. I shall do so in another post...

i remember years ago when i started work i had to go to newcastle poly one day a week and met up with a lad who who used to come from haltwhistle, he used to tell me that they used to loose snowplows in the SUMMER up there nevr mind the winter